Card game

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for playing card game suitable for casino is played on a table having a substantially horizontal playing surface. The playing surface is of generally semi-circular shape, having a substantially straight edge along the diameter of the semicircle and a curved edge along the circumference of the semicircle. A dealer station is located approximately midway along the straight edge of the playing surface from which a dealer deals cards to each player. A plurality of player stations are located at spaced intervals along the curved edge of the playing surface. Each player station comprises a betting area having a plurality of designated locations arranged in a substantially “V” shape on which betting tokens may be placed, each designated location having a different predetermined value corresponding to one of a plurality of possible total values of cards dealt by the dealer to a player.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a card game and more particularly to a wagering card game suitable for playing in casinos, and to an apparatus for playing the card game.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

A variety of card games can be played in most casinos in which players are invited to wager the probability of a particular combination of cards arising in a hand dealt by a dealer. One of the most popular of such wagering card games is the game of Blackjack or Twenty-One. In Blackjack each player has a box or circle on the table in front of their position in which bets are placed. The basic premise of the game is that a player needs to have a hand value that is closer to twenty-one than the hand of the dealer, without going over twenty-one. Each player's hand is strictly played against the hand of the dealer; other player's hands are of no concern. A Blackjack or Natural is a total value of twenty-one in a player's first two cards. A bet is typically made by placing one or more betting tokens or counters (often referred to as “chips”) of a prescribed value in the player's box. Once all players have made bets the dealer moves around the table dealing cards to each player one at a time. The dealer also deals a card to himself. The dealer makes two passes around the table until every player and the dealer have two cards each. The dealer will flip one of his cards over exposing its value.

Once the cards are dealt, each player (starting at the dealer's left) indicates to the dealer how he/she intends to play the hand. After each player has finished his/her hand the dealer completes his hand and then pays or collects the player bets. In Blackjack the dealer must play his hand in a specific way: most commonly the dealer must continue to take cards until his total is seventeen or greater and then he stops drawing cards (“stand”). Some casinos play variations on this rule. The dealer cannot make any choices in the play of his hand. He must continue to draw cards until his total reaches at least seventeen or he “busts” by going over twenty-one. By contrast, each player can make a number of decisions when playing their hand. Most commonly they must choose whether to keep on drawing cards or to stand on the current total. Other player choices include “doubling down”, “splitting pairs”, and “surrender”.

Although Blackjack is a popular card game in casinos, it is quite intimidating for the novice because the rules are fairly complex and it takes some time to understand how the game works. Furthermore, because each player is playing against the dealer, a psychological hurdle exists of trying to beat the house which for many players can appear insurmountable.

The present invention was developed with a view to providing a new card game which is easy to play but which retains the excitement and some of the challenge of other more complex games like Blackjack.

References to prior art in this specification are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not to be taken as an admission that such prior art is part of the common general knowledge in Australia or elsewhere.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of playing a card game suitable for a casino, the method comprising:

providing each player with a betting area where wagers are placed, said betting area comprising a plurality of designated locations on which betting tokens may be placed, each designated location having a different predetermined value corresponding to one of a plurality of possible total values of cards dealt by a dealer to a player;

each player placing a wager in their betting area by placing one or more betting tokens on a selected one or more of said designated locations;

the dealer dealing at least one card to each player, with no cards being dealt to the dealer;

the dealer comparing the total value of the at least one card dealt to each player with the designated locations in that player's betting area on which tokens have been placed; and,

the dealer paying each player for winning wagers on the designated locations according to the preset odds, and collecting the tokens for all losing wagers on the designated locations.

Preferably each player's betting area has nine designated locations. Preferably the predetermined values of the nine designated locations are the values 1 to 9 respectively. Preferably said plurality of possible total values of cards dealt by a dealer to a player is determined in the same manner as in a conventional Baccarat game.

The card game may be played with one or more decks of playing cards. For example, the game may be played with one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven or twelve decks of cards with the Jokers removed. Typically any or all of the Kings, Queens or Jacks are removed from the decks of cards depending on the desired odds of a player winning.

Preferably the dealer deals one card to each player starting from the first player with a wager in his/her betting area to the left of the dealer and continuing clockwise around the table one at a time. Preferably the dealer continues dealing cards until all players have received two cards. In certain circumstances a third card may be dealt to a particular player. Preferably the cards are dealt to each player face-up.

Typically if the total value of the two cards equals zero, then all wagers placed on any of the designated locations in the player's betting area will lose.

Advantageously the method may further comprise providing each player with an additional designated location on which betting tokens may be placed by a player for wagering on the possibility of a pair of similar cards being dealt to that player. The odds paid on different types of pairs of similar cards will depend on the probability of receiving a particular type of pair of similar cards and as preset by the house.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for playing a card game suitable for a casino, the apparatus comprising:

a table having a substantially horizontal playing surface;

a dealer station at a first position on the playing surface from which position the dealer deals cards to each player;

a plurality of player stations at spaced locations on the playing surface and opposed to said dealer station, each player station comprising a betting area where wagers are placed, said betting area comprising a plurality of designated locations on which betting tokens may be placed, each designated location having a different predetermined value corresponding to one of a plurality of possible total values of cards dealt by the dealer to a player.

Preferably the playing surface is of generally semi-circular shape, having a substantially straight edge along the diameter of the semicircle and a curved edge along the circumference of the semicircle. Preferably the dealer station is located approximately midway along the straight edge of the playing surface, and the player stations are located at spaced intervals along the curved edge of the playing surface.

Preferably said plurality of designated locations in the betting area of each player station are arranged in a substantially “V” shape. Preferably each player's betting area has nine designated locations, four designated locations in each straight arm of the “V” and a ninth at the apex of the “V”. Preferably the predetermined values of the nine designated locations are the values 1 to 9 respectively. Preferably the four designated locations in one arm of the “V” have even values and the four designated locations in the other arm and at the apex of the “V” have odd values. Preferably the values allocated to the designated locations are arranged in ascending order from the lowest value at the apex to the highest value at the respective ends of the arms of the “V”.

Preferably the betting area of each player station also includes an additional designated location on which betting tokens may be placed by a player for wagering on the possibility of a pair of similar cards being dealt to that player. Typically the designated locations arranged in the substantially “V” shape are of circular configuration and the additional designated location is separated from the “V” and is of a different shape.

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Likewise the word “preferably” or variations such as “preferred”, will be understood to imply that a stated integer or group of integers is desirable but not essential to the working of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The nature of the invention will be better understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the card game, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows the layout of a preferred embodiment of a playing surface for a card game according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlargement of a betting area for one of the player stations on the laying surface of FIG. 1; and,

FIGS. 3 to 10 illustrate different combinations of playing cards that may be dealt by a dealer in the preferred embodiment of the card game according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A preferred embodiment of the method and apparatus for playing a card game in accordance with the present invention will now be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10. In order to play the card game in a casino, the apparatus for playing the card game preferably comprises a table having a substantially horizontal playing surface 10 as shown in FIG. 1. The playing surface 10 is of generally semi-circular shape, having a substantially straight edge 12 along the diameter of the semicircle and a curved edge 14 along the circumference of the semicircle. A dealer station 20 is provided at a first position on the playing surface 10 from which position a dealer deals cards to each player. The dealer station 20 is preferably located approximately midway along the straight edge 12 of the playing surface 10. A plurality of player stations 22 are provided at spaced locations on the playing surface 10 and opposed to the dealer station 20. The player stations 22 are located at spaced intervals along the curved edge 14 of the playing surface 10.

Each player station 22 comprises a betting area 30 where wagers are placed. The betting area 30 comprises a plurality of designated locations 32 on which betting tokens (not shown) may be placed, each designated location 32 having a different predetermined value corresponding to one of a plurality of possible total values of cards dealt by the dealer to a player. As can be seen more clearly in FIG. 2, the plurality of designated locations 32 in the betting area 30 of each player station 22 are preferably arranged in a substantially “V” shape. Preferably each player's betting area 30 has nine designated locations 32, four designated locations 32 in each straight arm respectively of the “V” and a ninth at the apex of the “V”.

In the illustrated embodiment the predetermined values of the nine designated locations 32 are the values 1 to 9 respectively. Four of the designated locations 32, in the left arm of the “V” as shown in FIG. 2, have even values (2, 4, 6, 8) and the four designated locations 32 in the right arm and at the apex of the “V” have odd values (1, 3, 5, 7, 9). Preferably the values allocated to the designated locations 32 are arranged in ascending order from the lowest value at the apex to the highest value at the respective ends of the arms of the “V”. In the illustrated embodiment the “V” shaped arrangement of the designated locations 32 forms the first letter of the word “Victory” (Trade Mark) in each betting area 30 on the playing surface 10. “Victory” (Trade Mark) is the preferred name of the card game according to the present invention.

Preferably the betting area 30 of each player station 22 also includes an additional designated location 34 on which betting tokens may be placed by a player for wagering on the possibility of a pair of similar cards being dealt to that player. The additional location 34 is referred to as the designated pair betting location. Typically the designated locations 32 arranged in the substantially “V” shape are of circular configuration and the designated pair betting location 34 is separated from the “V” and is of a different shape. In this embodiment the designated pair betting location 34 is of diamond shape, and is located adjacent to the apex of the “V”. However it will be understood that the designated pair betting location 34 may be of any desired shape and location.

In the illustrated embodiment seven player stations 22 are provided at spaced intervals on the playing surface 10 adjacent to the curved edge 14 of the playing surface, which means that up to seven players at a time can play the game. However clearly the number and location of the playing stations 22 may be varied to suit the casino and/or to provide other novel and interesting or aesthetically attractive arrangements. Also the number and arrangement of the designated locations 32 in each betting area 30 may be varied from that illustrated without departing from the spirit and intent of the card game according to the present invention.

Preferably the playing surface 10 may also include a “GO FOR VICTORY” betting area (or areas) 40 and will typically consist of one continuous betting location 42 from position 1 through to 7 with the words “GO FOR VICTORY” embossed. The “GO FOR VICTORY” betting area 40 will typically be located between the dealer station 20 and the player stations 22 in the form of an arc shape. However it will be understood that the “GO FOR VICTORY” betting station 40 may be of any desired shape and location.

The nomenclature employed throughout the description is similar to that of other wagering card games. The term “wager” refers to monies placed in the betting area 30 or the “GO FOR VICTORY” betting area 40 for the purpose of gambling on an uncertain outcome. A wager is normally made by placing betting tokens (also referred to as “chips”) on one or more of the designated locations 32 in the betting area 30 or the designated locations 42 in the “GO FOR VICTORY” betting area 40. A “round” refers a period of play commencing with the delivery of the first card until all eligible player stations 22 have received the maximum allowable number of cards, concluding when all losing wagers have been taken and all winners have been paid. An “eligible player station” is a player station 22 at which a wager has been placed in the betting area 30. The “point value” refers to the value of the card/cards contributing to the count or points score of the hand dealt to a player station.

“Total value” refers to the total point value of the playing card/cards in a hand. In the preferred embodiment of the card game. The value of the card/cards dealt by a dealer to a player is determined in the same manner as in a conventional Baccarat game, i.e. an Ace counts as one, picture cards as ten and the rest of the cards have their face value. The total value of the hand is the sum of the face value of the card/cards with the left numeral being dropped if the number is in double digits. For example, 10=0, 11=1, 12=2, 13=3, 14=4, 15=5, 16=6, 17=7, 18=8, 19=9, 20=0. Thus in FIG. 3, the total value of the hand illustrated is eight (Ace of hearts=1, seven of clubs=7). In FIG. 4 the total value of the hand is four (ten of clubs=10, four of diamonds=4; 10+4=14, drop the left numeral to arrive at the total value of four). In FIG. 5 the total value of the hand is one (Ace of clubs=1, ten of hearts=10; 1+10=11, drop the left numeral to arrive at the total value of one). In FIG. 6 the total value of the hand is zero (ten of spades=10, ten of diamonds=10; 10+10=20, drop the left numeral to arrive at the total value of zero). In FIG. 7 the total value of the hand is two (Ace of diamonds=1, Ace of spades=1; 1+1=2).

A “pair” refers to two cards with the same face value. An “odd pair” means a pair that is comprised of one red suited card and one black suited card. So, for example, FIG. 10 illustrates an odd pair consisting of a two of clubs (black) and a two of hearts (red). A “coloured pair” refers to a pair that is comprised of two cards being of the same colour but a different suit. So, for example, FIG. 9 illustrates a coloured pair consisting of an eight of spades (black) and an eight of clubs (black). A “matching pair” refers to a pair that is comprised of two cards being of the same suit. So, for example, FIG. 8 illustrates an matching pair consisting of a nine of hearts and a nine of hearts.

A “total bet” refers to a wager placed on any one of the designated locations 32. A “pair bet” refers to a wager place on the designated pair betting location 34. The “house” refers to the casino or body responsible for operating the area in which the card game is played and for paying winners and collecting from losers.

The game can be played with one or more decks of playing cards with the jokers removed. For example, the game may be played with one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven or twelve decks of cards with the Jokers removed. Any or all of the Kings, Queens and Jacks can be removed from the decks depending on the required house odds. When removing cards from the deck all of the cards with the same face should be removed, for example, all of the Kings from every suit must be removed.

The game typically begins by the dealer dealing two cards to each eligible player station 22. The betting area 30 of a player station 22 must contain a wager or wagers to be eligible to receive cards. The game could also be played with each player receiving only one card or more than two cards. However in its preferred form each eligible player station 22 begins with a hand of two cards. The card/cards are dealt face up starting from the first eligible player station to the left of the dealer continuing clockwise around the table one at a time until all eligible player stations receive two cards. There are no cards dealt to the house position.

The player may make a wager or wagers on any of the possible total values of the two cards in his/her hand being equal to one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight or nine. A wager or wagers are made by placing the desired number of betting tokens on one or more of the selected designated locations 32 in the player's betting area 30. The winning total bet may be paid with odds of 8 to 1. These odds can vary depending on the house odds. All wagers on the other designated locations 32 lose. Typically, if the total value of the two cards equals zero then all wagers placed on the any of the other designated locations 32 in that betting area 30 will lose. A player is only permitted to place wagers at one player station 22 at a time during a round of play. The player must have a total bet before they are allowed to have a pair bet by placing one or more betting tokens on the designated pair betting location 34.

A winning pair bet may typically be paid the following odds:

Odd Pair: 5 to 1 Coloured Pair: 10 to 1 Matching Pair: 20 to 1

These odds paid on a winning pair bet can vary depending on the required house odds. If the two cards dealt to a player station 22 are not a pair the pair bet loses. If the total value of the two cards dealt to a player station is equal to zero then all total bets lose but the pair bet can still win if the two cards are a pair. The pair bet is thus treated as a separate wager from the total bet.

When the total value of the two cards dealt to the player station is equal to zero then all total bets lose but the house may offer that individual player station an option to draw a third card. The player will then be able to place a wager (amount set by the house) before the third card is drawn. The wager is made by placing betting tokens on one or more of the designated locations 42 in the “GO FOR VICTORY” betting area 40. This will be termed “GO FOR VICTORY” and the odds paid may be typically 10 to 1. These odds paid on a winning “GO FOR VICTORY” bet can vary depending on the required house odds. For the “GO FOR VICTORY” wager to win, the third card must have a face value of 10 (zero) therefore the total of the three cards equal 0 (zero). The game may or may not include a “GO FOR VICTORY” option, but a “GO FOR VICTORY” betting area 40 is preferably included in the table layout so that the game can be played with or without “GO FOR VICTORY”.

The players during a round can only place multiple wagers on one player station 22 at a time in units of the table minimum. For example, if the table minimum is $2.50, multiple units of $2.50 can be placed on any designated location 32 and the designated pair betting location 34 in betting area 30 of that player station 22 at one time. The maximum wager relates to a single total bet or pair bet, and therefore a player may have multiple maximum wagers in that betting area 30. The maximum wager can vary depending on the house odds and may be typically no greater than eight times the table minimum. So, for example, with a $2.50 table minimum the maximum wager can be no more than $20.00 on any single total bet or pair bet.

Referring to FIG. 2, supposing a player has made a wager by placing a betting token on the designated locations 32 with values of 1, 2, 5, and 8 as well as two tokens on the designated pair betting location 34, that is, he places a total of six tokens as his wager. Each token is worth $2.50. Supposing that in the first round the hand received from the dealer looks like that illustrated in FIG. 3 (total value of eight). The player wins eight times the value of the total bet on the designated location of value 8 (assuming odds of 8 to 1 on a winning total bet), however he loses the total bets on the designated locations of value 1, 2 and 5 and on the designated pair betting location 34. Hence at the end of the first round the player has an extra three tokens (8−5=3). He began with a wager of $15.00; he won $20.00 and lost $12.50. Therefore he ends up winning (with an extra three tokens) a total of $7.50.

Supposing that in the second round the player makes the same wager as in the first round, but that this time the hand he received from the dealer looks like that illustrated in FIG. 9 (total value of 6 and a coloured pair). He will lose all the total bets placed on the designated locations 32, but wins the pair bet. Assuming the coloured pair pays with odds of 10 to 1, he will be paid twenty tokens by the dealer. Therefore at the end of the second round the player has an extra sixteen tokens (20−4=16). He began with a wager of $15.00; he won $50.00 and lost $10.00. Therefore he ends up winning (with an extra 16 tokens) a total of $40.00.

It should be noted that whilst the examples above have been described as paying odds of 8 to 1 for a winning number, and odds of 10 to 1 for a coloured pair, the invention is not limited to these particular odds and may be varied as required by the casino.

Now that preferred embodiments of the card game have been described in detail, it will be apparent that it provides a number of advantages over the prior art, including the following:

-   -   (i) It is simple to learn the rules and therefore easy for the         novice to begin to play;     -   (ii) It does not involve playing against the dealer and         therefore there is less of a psychological barrier of playing         against the house;     -   (iii) It does not involve playing against other players,         although the involvement of other players does change the odds         of winning.

It will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the relevant arts that various modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoing embodiments, in addition to those already described, without departing from the basic inventive concepts of the present invention. For example, whilst the card game has been described in the form of a conventional casino tabletop playing surface, it may also be embodied in an electronic format for playing on-line or in electronic gaming machine. Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described and is to be determined from the appended claims. 

1. A method of playing a card game suitable for a casino, the method comprising: providing each player with a betting area where wagers are placed, said betting area comprising a plurality of designated locations on which betting tokens may be placed, each designated location having a different predetermined value corresponding to one of a plurality of possible total values of cards dealt by a dealer to the player; each player placing a wager in the betting area provided for the player by placing at least one betting tokens on a selected at least one of said designated locations; the dealer dealing at least one card to each player, with no cards being dealt to the dealer; the dealer comparing the total value of the at least one card dealt to each player with the designated locations in that player's betting area on which tokens have been placed; and, the dealer paying each player for winning wagers on the designated locations according to preset odds, and collecting the tokens for all losing wagers on the designated locations.
 2. The method of playing a card game as defined in claim 1, wherein each player's betting area has nine designated locations.
 3. The method of playing a card game as defined in claim 2, wherein the predetermined values of the nine designated locations are the values 1 to 9 respectively.
 4. The method of playing a card game as defined in claim 1, wherein said plurality of possible total values of cards dealt by a dealer to a player is determined in a manner similar to a Baccarat game.
 5. The method of playing a card game as defined in claim 1, wherein the card game is played with a plurality of decks of playing cards.
 6. The method of playing a card game as defined in claim 5, wherein the game is played with one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven or twelve decks of cards with the Jokers removed from each of said decks.
 7. The method of playing a card game as defined in claim 5, wherein at least one of Kings, Queens and Jacks are removed from the decks of cards depending on a desired odd of a player winning.
 8. The method of playing a card game as defined in claim 1, wherein the dealer deals one card to each player starting from the first player with a wager in the player's betting area to the left of the dealer and continuing clockwise around the table one player at a time.
 9. The method of playing a card game as defined in claim 8, wherein the dealer continues dealing cards until all of the layers have received two cards.
 10. The method of playing a card game as defined in claim 9, wherein a third card is dealt to at least one of the players.
 11. The method of playing a card game as defined in claim 8, wherein the cards are dealt to each player face-up.
 12. The method of playing a card game as defined in claim 9, wherein if the total value of the two cards equals zero, then all wagers placed on any of the designated locations in the player's betting area we lost.
 13. The method of playing a card game as defined in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises providing each of the players with an additional designated location on which betting tokens may be placed by a player for wagering on the possibility of a pair of similar cards being dealt to that player.
 14. The method of playing a card game as defined in claim 13, wherein odds paid on different types of pairs of similar cards depend on a probability of receiving a particular type of pair of similar cards and the odds are predetermined prior to playing the card game.
 15. An apparatus for playing a card game comprising: a table having a substantially horizontal playing surface; a dealer station at a first position on the playing surface from which position the dealer deals cards to each players, and a plurality of player stations at spaced locations on the playing surface and opposed to said dealer station, each of the player stations comprising a first betting area where wagers are placed, said first betting area comprising a plurality of designated locations on which betting tokens may be placed, and each designated location having a different predetermined value corresponding to one of a plurality of possible total values of cards dealt by the dealer to a player.
 16. The apparatus for playing a card game as defined in claim 15, wherein the playing surface has a semi-circular shape including a substantially straight edge along a diameter of the semicircle and a curved edge along the circumference of a semicircle.
 17. The apparatus for playing a card game as defined in claim 16, wherein the dealer station is located approximately midway along the straight edge of the playing surface, and the player stations are located at spaced intervals along the curved edge of the playing surface.
 18. The apparatus for playing a card game as defined in claim 15, further comprising a “GO FOR VICTORY” betting area comprising a plurality of designated locations on which betting tokens may be placed, said “GO FOR VICTORY” betting area being located between the dealer station and the player stations.
 19. The apparatus for playing a card game as defined in claim 15, wherein said plurality of designated locations in the first betting area of each player station are arranged in a substantially “V” shape.
 20. The apparatus for playing a card game as defined in claim 19, wherein each player's betting area has nine designated locations, four designated locations in each straight arm of the “V” and a ninth at the apex of the “V”.
 21. The apparatus for playing a card game as defined in claim 20, wherein the predetermined values of the nine designated locations are the values 1 to 9 respectively.
 22. The apparatus for playing a card game as defined in claim 20, wherein the four designated locations in one arm of the “V” have even values and the four designated locations in the other arm and at the apex of the “V” have odd values.
 23. The apparatus for playing a card game as defined in claim 20, wherein the values allocated to the designated locations are arranged in ascending order from the lowest value at the apex to the highest value at the respective ends of the arms of the “V”.
 24. The apparatus for playing a card game as defined in claim 15, wherein the first betting area of each player station also includes an additional designated location on which betting tokens may be placed by a player for wagering on the possibility of a pair of similar cards being dealt to that player.
 25. The apparatus for playing a card game as defined in claim 24, wherein the designated locations arranged in the substantially “V” shape are of circular configuration and the additional designated location is separated from the “V” and is of a different shape. 